Tag: Beta Readers

All of April has been focussed on completing Camp NaNoWriMo, and I’m totally on track to hit my 25k wordcount target. I set my goal there because the first two weeks of the month were taken up with the Easter holidays, and with two young boys to entertain, I wasn’t going to fool myself into thinking I could manage 50k.

But it’s been a good target for me, I haven’t been stressing, or having to push really hard to keep on track, and I haven’t had to let the rest of my life fester in the shadow of my complete abandonment as always happens for NaNoWriMo in November!

I’ve taken a break from my Memory Trader series, while The Sister has been out with beta readers, and so Camp NaNo has focussed on a new book, tentatively titled While We Were Waiting, but that may well change. It was meant to be a post-apocalyptic book, but it’s turned into something of a magical realism piece, so I’m going to let it take me there. At the end of the day, I can clear all of that up in editing.

Have you been doing Camp NaNoWriMo this month? Or have you been working towards other goals? Join the Got Goals? Bloghop here.

Today is April’s instalment of Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which sees hundreds of writers and bloggers worldwide discuss their own insecurities, support others with theirs, and offer advice for overcoming them. If you want to check out the other IWSG member blogs, or sign up yourself, you can do so here.

The last couple of months have all been about edits, and preparing The Matching to be sent out to beta readers. It went out at the beginning of March, and I’ve been doing some big edits based on some of that feedback. Big changes. Changes that I knew needed to be made, but just wanted to have confirmed by outside eyes.

But that’s what’s so wonderful about beta readers, and a good one really is worth their weight in gold. Or platinum. Or plutonium.

Beta readers can offer you something you can never give yourself: a distanced opinion. An outside eye. A level of detachment you can’t achieve. But there’s something even more important than that, something that only a good beta reader can offer: honesty. That, that’s harder to find.

The most obvious beta readers available to you are friends and family. And while some of them can be good beta readers (I use family members), many will try to spare your feelings, try not to upset you or cause a falling out. This is no use to you, your writing, or your future readers. You need people that understand how important that honesty is, and people who aren’t afraid to give it to you.

So once you find a good beta reader, never let them go. (Please note: I mean this metaphorically. I do not advocate the kidnapping, imprisonment, or enforced servitude of beta readers. Even a good one.)

Last month I was deep in edits, preparing The Matching to go out to beta readers. It went out to them early this month, and I’m now working on some very big changes based on some of that feedback.

But it’s all becoming very real now. When you’re head down at your computer, tapping away, all absorbed within your own little world, it’s yours. It’s a personal endeavour, a private space, a secret relationship between you and your characters. But there comes a moment when it’s all suddenly open, revealed to the world. And suddenly, you’re accountable. You can’t keep tweaking and editing and rewriting forever.

And The Matching has become very official. It has a cover. And there’s little that makes a book feel more real than that. I officially revealed the cover this week, so now, well, there’s no going back.

There are other ways I make myself accountable, urge myself onwards. I’ve put the book up on Goodreads, along with an expected publication date. Of course, the next step will be the pre-order, and there’s serious consequences if you back out of that one.

So, that’s that. It’s all official now. I really do actually have to do this.

Things are most definitely moving forward. The Bottle Stopper is now available to preorder on Amazon, and is currently being sent out to beta readers.

I have absolutely worked my butt off on this. My husband will tell you; he barely saw me through July. And I’m really proud of it. My editor loved it, and after adding in an extra scene to increase the emotional potency, she said I had “nailed it”.

I’m very excited about this. And this is just the beginning. Book one of The Paper Duchess series with five more books to follow. Along with that, I have plans. Lots of plans. Big plans. It’s terrifying, but I can’t wait to continue on this journey.

Most importantly, I know I’m not walking this path alone. There are people ahead of me, and people behind me, and people right by my side. And we’re all there to help each other. It’s not Wacky Races. No one’s turning the arrows around, or painting tunnels onto walls.

That said, if you wanted to beta read The Bottle Stopper, I still have plenty of room for more beta readers. Just let me know in the comments, and I’ll get in touch with a copy, and my eternal gratitude.